Traveling to Mexico...Advise?

chugluglug

Hey all! So excited to have found such a cool forum!

I am travelling to the Yucatan Peninsula late July and it is very humid. I have been back and forth in my mind to take my camera. I think I will regret it if I don't. That said, if I do end up taking it, what advise does anyone have about dealing with the humidity there and how it will affect the camera?

Any feedback and tips are much appreciated. Thanks!

PBked

Hi there.
You certainly will regret not taking your camera. The T2i/550D has a working environment of 0 to 40 degrees centigrade and a humidity of 85% or less. There are a couple of precautions you should take. Firstly, if moving from an air conditioned environment to outside, give your camera time to acclimatise before using (same applies for lenses) as you will risk condensation forming on glass and mirrors etc. Secondly, try to limit your use of video or live view as these modes cause the sensor to run hotter and you don't want your camera to overheat.
Once you return to the air conditioning, allow your camera to acclimatise again before putting it back in your bag. Just a last thought, you might want to purchase a couple of those little silica gel sachets from a good photo supplier to pop in your camera bag.
Simple precautions, but worth it for the chance of catching wonderful memories of your visit. Good luck and happy shooting.
Regards
PBked

chugluglug

Thank you for the response! A few more thoughts/questions. I have read that keeping the camera in a ziplock bag inside the camera bag helps it adjust to the humidity better? And would you keep your camera outside (under cover) if you were staying on the 2nd or 3rd floor of the hotel? I was thinking of taking a 50mm 1.8 lens and a zoom lens. Good choices?

PBked

Hi again.
I have not heard of the ziplock bag idea, but to my mind the plastic of the bag may encourage and trap condensation. I think the more air you have around the camera the better. Whether you have the camera in or out of the bag is not as important as allowing it time to acclimatise when you move from inside to out or vice versa.
Your choice of lenses should cover most situations I think.
Regards
PBked